The leader of Russia's Chechen Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov, was interviewed by the US cable TV network HBO; fragments of the interview were posted on YouTube on Friday and were immediately picked up by the international media.
Among others, HBO Real Sports reporter David Scott asked the Chechen leader questions about the US and its policies.
"America is conducting a policy against Russia, against the country’s leadership," Kadyrov said.
"They know that I’m one of those who are ready to give up life for Russia and that I have a good army capable of attacking and defending. We’ll see how things go for everyone."
3. In an interview with @RealSportsHBO one of Putin's biggest allies says "we will put the world on its knees and screw it from behind." pic.twitter.com/nYpu78nDDy
— Yashar Ali (@yashar) 14 июля 2017 г.
When the interviewer asked him if he regarded the US as Russia’s enemy, Kadyrov responded that "America is not really a strong enough state for us to regard it as an enemy of Russia. We have a strong government and are a nuclear state."
"Even if our government were completely destroyed, our nuclear missiles would be automatically deployed," he said.
"And we'll turn the whole world over," the Chechen leader said, which was translated by the editors as "we will put the whole world on its knees (…)."
Ramzan Kadyrov later commented on his words on his Telegram channel:
"These are not just simple words. We will do it. We are ready to give up our lives for our state," he wrote.
Russia is able to respond to any threats
Earlier in July, Dmitryi Rogozin, Russia's Deputy Prime Minister in charge of defense industry said in an interview with Sputnik that the current scientific and technological potential of Russia's defense network allows it to adequately respond to any challenges.
"Of course, in terms of the number of military hardware units, vessels and aircraft, we can't compete with the combined potential of NATO. Some external forces want to push Russia in a 'ruinous arms race,'but Russia will not be taken in by such provocations. However the efficiency of Russia's armed forces on the principle of defense sufficiency is at such level that it guarantees that no aggressor will ever take the risk of triggering an aggressive war against Russia," he told Sputnik.
"Since the Cold War, the US and Russia have drawn up plans on how to best wage nuclear war against each other —but while large population centers with a huge cultural impact may seem like obvious choices, a smarter nuclear attack would focus on countering the enemy's nuclear forces," the outlet says.
"So while people in New York City or Los Angeles may see themselves as being in the center of the world, in terms of nuclear-target priorities, they're not as important as places in states like North Dakota or Montana."
"…as the Cold War progressed and improvements in nuclear weapons and intelligence-collection technologies enabled greater precision in where those weapons were aimed, the emphasis in targeting shifted from cities to nuclear stockpiles and nuclear war-related infrastructure," it concluded.
'Take your gays to Canada, if there are any in Chechnya'
Another of Kadyrov's answers, this time about gay people in Chechnya, also went viral in the media.
David Scott was interested in "the alleged roundup, abduction, and torture of gay men in the Republic."
"Why did he [Scott] come here? What’s the point of these questions? This is nonsense. We don’t have those kinds of people here. We don’t have any gays. If there are any, take them to Canada. Praise be to Allah. Take them far from us so we don’t have them at home. To purify our blood, if there are any here, take them," Kadyrov answered.
Ramzan Kadyrov earlier said that there has been unleashed a targeted, well-paid informational and ideological war against the Republic and its people.
2. Kadyrov says if there are any gay people in Chechnya they should be removed in order to purify the blood of the Chechen people. pic.twitter.com/oTshkbFGLO
— Yashar Ali (@yashar) 14 июля 2017 г.
"We have always thought that it is hard to fight against terrorists and extremists. However, as it turns out, it is a lot easier to fight when you see your enemy rather than fight off the attacks of those who hide behind the masks of well-wishers," the Chechen leader said at a meeting with the leadership and unit commanders of the Republic's Ministry of the Interior.
Kadyrov further explained that the West does not want the Chechen people to preserve their identity.
"It is normal that in France someone could marry someone who is deceased. However when a full-aged girl officially gets married by mutual consent in Chechnya, it is a "crime", which is immediately being talked about in Europe and the Security Council. They don't like when we popularize a healthy mode of life, and urge young people to live their lives based on the faith and national interests. They want our people to fall as low as possible and never rise," Kadyrov said.
Chechen officials have repeatedly stated that the information is not true and that there is no evidence, even indirectly, of what was claimed by the newspaper. Kadyrov said that "such a situation is not typical of the Chechen people."
Human Rights Ombudsman in Russia Tatyana Moskalkova first said that Novaya Gazeta has given her names of people who have been allegedly persecuted in Chechnya. However, in the middle of June, she said that none of those allegedly persecuted had ever got in touch with her.
The Russian President's press secretary Dmitry Peskov said earlier that there are no grounds not to believe the Chechen leader's statement that gay men aren't being persecuted in the Republic.
